A clean home and pets; they do not have to be mutually exclusive at all.
While dogs can create a lot of mess and dirt around the home, if you follow these simple steps, there’s no reason why you can’t achieve a clean home without banishing your pooch to the dog house!
Where possible, opt for flooring that’s easy to clean
Carpets and rugs are always going to make your life harder when you’ve got a dog; if you don’t already have tiled or laminate flooring, it would be worth considering swapping to a more durable, easy-to-clean surface for your floors.
If you must use rugs – or want to – try to make sure that they’re washable, and have a selection of washable throws that you can put on your furniture if required, too. Of course, one way of keeping a cleaner home is to not let Fido sleep on the furniture!
Stop dirt at the door
Mats strategically placed at entrances and doorways throughout your home can give extra opportunities for grimy paws to be wiped clean. Put mats underneath your pet’s food and water bowls, too, to prevent food and water from being splashed all over the floors.
Groom, groom and groom some more!
Brushing and grooming your pets regularly will help stop dirt and dander from being shed all over your home, and will help keep them smelling sweeter for longer. Well, if not sweet, then at least not too stinky!
Clean accidents up right away
It’s not unusual for pets to pee where they shouldn’t, especially for pups and kittens, or pets that are stressed or sick. While this may not be a very pleasant task, you must try to clean the mess up as soon as possible, not only to stop the smell from lingering and becoming permanent, but to help prevent your pet from repeating their action in the same spot.
Always use pet-friendly cleaning products
Aside from ensuring that your pet doesn’t have an allergic reaction from a toxic cleaning product, the solutions themselves are designed to be more effective on the types of stains and spillages typical of pets. Whatever you do, don’t use an ammonia-based cleaner as this will smell like urine to your pet and may encourage them to pee more!
Wash your pet and its bedding
While how often you bathe your dog should be discussed with your vet, you should wash their bedding and toys at least once a month, but ideally once a fortnight, and more often if they start smelling. Your dog will naturally smell better after a bath, and their bedding and toys can also harbor nasty bacteria if left unwashed.
With a combination of planning, effort, and the right products, you can help your home stay and smell clean, for longer, no matter how many pets you have. You could also leave it to the experts, and have a professional cleaning company get your home spick and span.
